Cedric Mullins hits 2 HRs, drives in 3 and the Orioles beat the Red Sox 5-3

BOSTON (AP) — Cedric Mullins hit two homers and drove in three runs, Albert Suárez gave up one run and struck out a career-best eight over six innings and the Baltimore Orioles held off the Boston Red Sox 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Adley Rutschman added a two-run single for the Orioles, who won for the only the second time in six games as they attempt to catch AL East-leading New York. They moved to a within a half a game after the Yankees were blanked by Kansas City, 5-0, on Tuesday.

“I think last time I threw a lot of fastballs. This time I was working more with the breaking ball,” said Suárez, who also beat the Red Sox just over three weeks ago. “They were probably trying to get the fastball and I think that was what was working today.”

Triston Casas and Masataka Yoshida each had an RBI double for Boston, which has lost seven of its last 11 in its pursuit of Minnesota for the AL’s third wild-card spot. The Red Sox dropped four games back of the Twins, who beat the Los Angeles Angels, 10-5, Monday.

“At one point, we were the best offense in baseball. Whenever we faced a righty, it felt like we had a good chance to score runs,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We haven’t done that in the last month, month and a half. When we were hot, everyone was hitting the ball all over the place. It just happened that everyone is struggling at the same time.”

Boston’s Tyler O’Neill went 0 fox 3 with three strikeouts after hitting two homers in a victory on Monday.

With Gunnar Henderson on first after a walk in the third, Mullins hit a cutter from Kutter Crawford (8-14) deep into the right-field seats to make it 3-0. It was his fifth career multi-homer game, the last coming against Toronto on June 19, 2021.

Coming off his second-worst start of the season when he gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings last Wednesday against the White Sox, the 34-year-old Suárez (8-5) allowed four hits and two walks.

“Really good changeups. You needed it with that left-handed hitting lineup," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “A team that he had faced not that long ago and pitched really well against, you know that they were going to make adjustments.”

Seranthony Domínguez got the final three outs for his 10th save.

Casas’ double off the Green Monster sliced it to 3-1 in the fourth. It was Boston’s first run off Suárez this season after he shut them out over six innings in Camden Yards on Aug. 18.

Yoshida doubled off Yennier Cano in the eighth and Cano balked in a run, making it 5-3.

Crawford lost his fifth straight start, giving up three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and a walk. In the five starts, the Red Sox have scored two runs when he’s been in the game.

Mullins’ first homer hooked around the Pesky Pole in the first inning. Right fielder Wilyer Abreu looked like he was going to make an easy grab as he headed toward the wall, but he just kept drifting as the ball eventually settled into the seats, an estimated drive of just 334 feet.

“I'm not surprised with the Pesky Pole out there,” Mullins said. “I was able to get one to hook around, the second one was more flush. Two on the day is pretty good.”

Abreu made a nice running, inning-ending running catch before he fell to the ground in the sixth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: INF Jordan Westburg (fractured right hand) thought he might be able to start taking batting practice “soon.” Speaking in the clubhouse before the game, he said: “I’m happy how it’s progressing. The past couple of days, I feel like I’ve turned a little bit of corner strength-wise. I’ve been able to grip some weights more.”

Red Sox: Casas was back in the lineup after Cora had the left-handed hitter sit against a lefty starting pitcher.

UP NEXT

RHP Dean Kremer (7-9, 4.27 ERA) is slated to start the series finale for the Orioles against Red Sox RHP Nick Pivetta (5-10, 4.38).

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AP MLB: https://www.apnews.com/hub/mlb

Ken Powtak, The Associated Press